Mooring outside houses

[tony collins]

Grove Road Ansty on the North Oxford Canal also has some offical looking signs but no BW logo down half the towpath along the expensive houses stating no mooring. no signs by the cheaper older houses. between the towpath and the houses is a road so you can park your 40 tonne truck opposite but not your boat.

 

I've always wondered about those signs. I guess they were put up at the behest of the developer who built the four "executive" homes in order to help sell them. They are very unpopular particularly as immediately to one side there are long term moorings and anyone wanting to visit the nearby club cannot moor near the place.

 

It does cut the other way though, a friend of mine whose house backs on to the towpath elsewhere, was sitting in her garden talking to her next door neighbour, when a woman from one of the moored boats came along and asked them to be quiet as she was trying to read a book whilst sitting in the front cockpit of her boat!

 

Tony

[gbmud]

Yeah, like me leaving muddy tyre marks over the recently installed "no cycaling" signs, which have recently appeared all over our local bike-haven. Ever since it became owned by National Trust.

 

So, the owners of private property want to keep trespassers on bicycles off their land? How DARE they?

[DHutch]

... How DARE they?

Exacatly!!

[Stephen Fulcher]

This is the same as when people buy a house right next to a railway line, mostly on old railway land, and then complain when engineering works take place outside their doors overnight.

 

There is a simple answer here. These people purchased a house adjacent to a canal towpath. The canal was probably there long before their house, or their house could well be a former canal company property. They knew the canal was there and still bought the house, so they should, in my opinion, accept anything that the navigation authority or boat owners do on that canal, and that includes mooring on the towpath.

[anhar]

This is the same as when people buy a house right next to a railway line, mostly on old railway land, and then complain when engineering works take place outside their doors overnight.

 

There is a simple answer here. These people purchased a house adjacent to a canal towpath. The canal was probably there long before their house, or their house could well be a former canal company property. They knew the canal was there and still bought the house, so they should, in my opinion, accept anything that the navigation authority or boat owners do on that canal, and that includes mooring on the towpath.

Nope. That is going way too far.

 

Property owners by the canal should not have to accept "anything" that boat owners or canal authorities do merely because they bought a house in that location. The canal may have been there first but that doesn't relieve boaters of their general obligation to respect others' rights. People have to live together so a general policy of mutual respect is the best solution, not boat owners insisting they can do "anything" outside peoples' houses however obnoxious and that it's just tough on local residents.

 

regards

Steve

Edited August 9, 2006 by anhar

[Moley]

They knew the canal was there and still bought the house, so they should, in my opinion, accept anything that the navigation authority or boat owners do on that canal, and that includes mooring on the towpath.

Actually, they probably paid a damned sight more for that house than a similar property away from the cut, because of the canal.

 

Unless, as was said previously somewhere, they just wanted a nice water feature at the bottom of their gardens so they could fish or feed the duckyquacks.

 

edited to disagree with Steve, who posted at the same time:

 

Yes, respect others' rights as you would expect them to respect yours,

but no, we've paid to use the canals and towpaths and moor where we please.

We ‘own’ the towpaths, they don't.

Edited August 9, 2006 by Moley

[Pirate]

Nope. That is going way too far.

 

Property owners by the canal should not have to accept "anything" that boat owners or canal authorities do merely because they bought a house in that location. The canal may have been there first but that doesn't relieve boaters of their general obligation to respect others' rights. People have to live together so a general policy of mutual respect is the best solution, not boat owners insisting they can do "anything" outside peoples' houses however obnoxious and that it's just tough on local residents.

 

regards

Steve

 

Exactly................so mooring at the bottom of a garden shouldn`t pose any problems?

[Moley]

Exactly................so mooring at the bottom of a garden shouldn`t pose any problems?

This topic is talking about mooring towpath side, not at the bottom of someone's garden. There's usually a hedge or fence or some sort of barrier between their garden and our towpath, it's not like we're encroaching on their territory.

[Pirate]

This topic is talking about mooring towpath side, not at the bottom of someone's garden. There's usually a hedge or fence or some sort of barrier between their garden and our towpath, it's not like we're encroaching on their territory.

 

Yes sorry I didnt mean that literally, the post actually says "in front of some ones house" I think thats acceptable myself, although I wouldn`t personally want to do it, but I may be forced to even if it`s just long enought to fetch groceries. if theres nowhere else.

 

I suppose it wouldn`t be very nice for the house owners if say the boat had smoke belching from it`s chimney constantly and it was blowing all over the property, then I think the boat owner could perhaps be more thoughtfull

[anhar]

This topic is talking about mooring towpath side, not at the bottom of someone's garden. There's usually a hedge or fence or some sort of barrier between their garden and our towpath, it's not like we're encroaching on their territory.

Ade is correct, this is about the towpath side. Mooring at the bottom of someone's garden presumably is not the towpath side and boaters therefore do not have the right to do so. If they do, that is almost certainly an unacceptable intrusion upon the property owner.

 

However even on the towpath side I believe that boaters shouldn't behave irresponsibly outside someone's house. I don't believe that we have the right to do "anything" as Stephen suggested earlier. For example mooring on the towpath by a property and playing very loud music all night long for several days would in my view be antisocial and unacceptably bad behaviour. No boater has the right to do that to people and it is completely irrelevant in such a situation that the canal may have been there first.

 

regards

Steve

[Breals]

I don't think anyone is saying we should not adjust our behaviour when we are near dwellings (or other boats for that matter) - not running the engine late into the evening, not playing loud music, etc.

Edited August 9, 2006 by Breals

[Maffi]

Oh goody I just love people like this, boy am I gonna have fun! I would hate to think what they would make of me 55, jeans, teeshirt and hair near down to my shoulders. Probably wouldn't venture out their back door.

 

I am by nature a quiet type of person that gives no offence unless offended, but this kind of person will make me want to seek them out.

 

Surely if these people don't want boats at the bottom of their garden then they should pay a licence fee and a mooring fee to ensure that the bank stays clear. If BW offered them a £1500 bill every year for the privelige of a boat free bankside they might think twice before complaining.

 

I think there is someone on the K&A near Bath that has done just that.

Edited August 9, 2006 by Maffi

[fuzzyduck]

Callum

 

Thanks for the correction.

 

Don't bother submitting the bill mind

[Sir Nibble]

I think there is someone on the K&A near Bath that has done just that.

At Bathampton, yes. But is it not the case that a Bw onside mooring permit holder does not OFFICIALLY have title to any one specific spot?

So a boat can moor right outside this house so long as the boat has a permit?

I have always felt that this is a misuse of a scarce resource (moorings) but at least this character has put their money where their mouth is as it were.

[GRPCruiserman]

Buy a house next to a pub then complain about the noise. Things like this really annoy me.

 

As for the 'big bloke' and the guy saying boats get damaged, this sounds like a time for the camcorder and police reportage.

 

[Moley]

Buy a house next to a pub then complain about the noise. or a house near a school, then complain about traffic and people parking outside your house at drop-off / pick-up times Things like this really annoy me. me too

[John Orentas]

That is exactly the sort of thing that some people do. Some of you may know of Carr Mill Dam, just off the East Lancashire Road up here, most people assume it to be a natural lake but it is in fact a reservoir built to supply the St Helens Canal.

 

It was for many years a very busy place and was known as a centre for hydroplane racing since the 1920's. There is an island on the 'lake' with a single house built on it, the original resident was keen on the racing and was involved with the organisation, the chap sadly died in the early 70's and his house was put up for sale on the open market.

 

The racing people anticipated problems and attempted all kinds of legal devices to preserve their sporting venue, historic use legislation, lobbying of the selling agents, local and national press and so on. The house was sold to a lady who enjoyed her peace and quiet.

 

You have guessed it, she went to court and within 6 months a sport with a 50 year history was banned from Carr Mill.

Edited August 10, 2006 by John Orentas

[Moley]

Well the racing people should have joined forces and bought the place themselves

[Liam]

Well the racing people should have joined forces and bought the place themselves

 

I agree, would of made a nice clubhouse

[StoneHenge]

Oh goody I just love people like this, boy am I gonna have fun! I would hate to think what they would make of me 55, jeans, teeshirt and hair near down to my shoulders. Probably wouldn't venture out their back door.

 

I am by nature a quiet type of person that gives no offence unless offended, but this kind of person will make me want to seek them out.

 

Surely if these people don't want boats at the bottom of their garden then they should pay a licence fee and a mooring fee to ensure that the bank stays clear. If BW offered them a £1500 bill every year for the privelige of a boat free bankside they might think twice before complaining.

 

I think there is someone on the K&A near Bath that has done just that.

 

You would get on well with my hsuabdn then maffi. Most people (before we moved onto a boat) would look at him like he was some useless hippy with nothing better to do (especially after he gave up work to become a full time dad). Given he has over 25 years experience in the engineering industry, and was a whizz on the computer, people well and truly judged the cover before the book.

 

Since we moved to the boat? Not even a peep. People have just accepted him for exactly who is he. The long haired laid back chap that he really is!